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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the name of the Berglunds' neighborhood?

2. Where do Patty and Walter marry?

3. What is the name of Richard's roommate in "Mistakes Were Made"?

4. What does Joey christen the lake by the Berglund summer home?

5. How does Patty seduce Richard in "Mistakes Were Made"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens after Patty leaves Eliza for the last time?

2. How does Patty's friendship with Eliza end?

3. What is Nameless Lake, and how does it get its name?

4. How do Patty and Richard end up taking a road trip? What happens during that trip?

5. Who are Patty's parents and what do they do?

6. Describe the friendship between Eliza and Patty.

7. Who is Richard? How does Patty meet him, and what does she think of him?

8. What does Patty learn about Walter and his childhood?

9. Describe Patty's relationship with her parents.

10. Who is Walter? How does Patty meet him, and what does she think of him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The characters are involved in many internal conflicts over the course of the novel. Choose three characters and explain how their internal conflict(s) impact both the plot and the characters themselves.

Essay Topic 2

Near the end of the novel, Walter remarks that "even a horrible marriage was less lonely than no marriage at all" (584). Write an essay that proves or disproves this statement using the characters of Walter, Patty, and Richard for support.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the issue of parenthood in the novel. What makes a good parent? Are there any good parents in the novel? What, in your opinion, is Franzen trying to say about being a parent?

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This section contains 713 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample